bureoughes



(No Model.)

v 3 Sheets-Sheet 1. J. s. BURROUGHBS.

BOARD 0R GAMB TABLE.

Patented Mai. 10, 1891.

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(No Model.) 3 sheets-sheet 2.'

J. S. BUR-ROUGHES.

BOARD OR GAME TABLE. No. 448,120. Patented Mar. 10, 1891.

Jannes 3am/Lo?, Burroughs 15g his f'orney (Numa-e1.) asneens-sheen 3.

J. S. BURROUGHES.

BOARD 0R GAMB TABLE.

No. 448,120. Patented Mar. 10,1891.

mincsses Invezor Jl M James Samuel ,Bwrougws VNrrn Y JAMES SAMUEL BURROUGHES, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

BOARD -oR GAME TABLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 448,120, dated `1VIarch 10, 1891.

Application le. September 6, 1889l toria May 23,1889,No.6,671; in

Serial No. 828,219. (No model.) l Patentedr in England March 12, 1889, No. 4.812 nVicg New South Wales May 27, 1889. No. 1,444; in India June 20, August 28, 1889, No. 200,451; in Germany August 28, 1889, No. 51,266 in Canada December 5,

1889, No. 88,046; in Belgium Decernher9, 1889, No. 88,786; in Italy December 10x 1889; in Austria-Hungary December 7, 1889, No. 52,900, andin v Spain December 80, 1889, N0.10,886.

T0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES SAMUEL BUR- ROUGHEs,a subject of the Queen of England, residing at London, in the county of Middlesex and Kingdom of England, have invented an Improved Board or Table and Apparatus for Playing Parlor or Switchback Skittles, (for which I have obtained patents in England, No. 4,812, dated March 12, 1889; in Victoria, No. 6,671, dated May 28, 1889; in France, No. 200,451, dated August 28, 1889; in Canada, No. 88,046, dated December 5, 1889; in Belgium, No. 88,786, dated December 9,1889; in Spain, No. 10,886, tiled December80, 1889, will issue March 81,1891; in India, Register No. 182 of 1889, Certificate dated June 20,1889, No. 1,287; in New South W'ales, No. 1,444, dated May 27, 1889, registered July 25, 1889;

in Germany, No. 51,266, dated August 28,

1889; in Austria-I'Iungary, No. 52,900, filed December 7, 1889, dated March 29, 1890; in Italy, filed December 10, 1889, issued January 21. 1890,) of which the following is a specification.

My invention is an improved gaine-board. I have designed it especially for use in playing what is termed switehback Skittles; but of course the particular vconstruction shown and described may be adapted for use in other games belonging to the same general class.

Y The invention therefore consistsiu various matters hereinafter described, and pointed out in the appended claims.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figurel is a side elevation of my improved gaine apparatus. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same, the position of the grooved way when folded into position for packing being shown in dotted lines. Fig.8 is a transverse section on the line 1 2 of Fig. 1, looking toward the raised portion of the board. Fig. 4 is a sectional view looking toward the depressed portion of the board, the end wall of the raised portion being removed. Fig. 5 represents a plan and transverse section through the raised portion B of the table. Fig. 6 is atransverse section through the table and upright supporting the grooved wayor switchback, to-

gether with a side view of the front portion of the table or bed.

In the drawings, A is an oblong bed or table provided with suitable feet a. Said table may have at one end an inclined raised part B, extending across the table and be provided with awell or sunken recess B at the other end. On each side of the bed is formed a gutter or trough D, and the bed or board between these gutters is made curved, thereby giving more or less incline from the longitudinal center' of the playing-surface toward each of these side gutters.

The playing-surface of the board may be covered with cloth like a billiard-table; but I now find a polished surface preferable, and at the end of the board near which the player stands I fit an upright E, from which a grooved Way or conduit F extends, inclining downward at any desired angle to the opposite end of the board, and I make this inclined grooved Way in a series of upward and downward curves, forming various gradients, similar to those of a switchback railway. I prefer to make this grooved way to pivot, as at f, and I provide the upright or uprights E or other supports with hinge-joints e, so that this grooved Way may be laid down upon the table and occupy little space when packed for transport or not in use, said uprights being provided with spring-catches e to lock the same in position. Hthin or near the upright supporting the highest point of the grooved longitudinal inclined way, hereinafter termed the switchback,7 I fit a movable vertical piece G, which I connect by levers Il or any suitable gearing with a slide I, provided with a knob o1l 11andle in such a manner that -by moving the handle the movable piece may be made to rise and fall. To this same knob or handle I also attach a cord,wire, rod, or bar K, extending to a movable trough, gutter, or shifting guideway L, leading from the raised platform at the head of the board to the playing-surface and provided with a spring Z for returning it to normal position, this connection be- 1889I No. 132; in France ing so formed that by pulling on the one knob or handle the movable vertical piece is lifted and the shifting guideway made to move in the arc of a circle. In lieu of the raised transversely-inclined platform, the switchback incline may curve round at the head of the board and terminate in the shifting-guide, which may be near one side or in the center of the board; or a groove may be formed on the inclined platform itself to guide the ball to the movable trough. f

M are the pins or skittles, N the ball, and' b a drawer in the head B for holding said pins and ball.

The game will be played as follows: Nine or any number of pins or skittles M are placed, as for the ordinary game of skittles, at the bottom or playing end of the bed A, and a ball N is placed upon the highest point ofthe switchback F immediately over the aforesaid movable vertical piece or rod G. The knob or handle of the slide I is then pushed or pulled, and the vertical piece G driven upward under the ball N by the movement of the lever H starts the ball down the switchback F, this movement also actuating the cord K, attached to G, and causing the shifting glitter or guide L at the other end of the board to move on its pivotV The ball, being thus impelled, descends the way F, rising and falling according to the gradient of the switchback, and crossing the board either on the raised tansverse incline B at its head or, following the curve C of the switchback, enters the shiftingguide L, and is directed by this onto the polished surface A of the board at an angle regnlated by the movement given to it by the player, who can by the same handle I which started the ball shift the guide to any point of its traverse even while the ball is progressing along the switchback, the object being to strike the Skittles as in the ordinary game*- namely, so as to bring down the greatest number at one blow.

The convex form of the bed A may cause the ball to diverge and fall into one of the gutters D on either side and be lost, and the gutters are preferably made to incline toward the end or well 13', so as to bring the played ball or balls into it.

In the plan view, Fig. 5, the channel C, leading the ball from the grooved way or switchback F to the movable trough L, is a continuation of the way F, and may be more or less circular and inclined. The raised portion B is here simply a casing covering the channel C and containing a drawer b for the Skittles and ball. The incline C shown in the transverse section is an alternative method of leading the ball from the way F to the trough L. This incline C is a platform eX- tending across B, and the ball, dropping from the Way F on one side of the inclined platform at O, runs across it to the outlet at O', leading to the guiding-trough L.

At Fig. 6 it will be seen that the pivotinglever His connected at g to the rod G for starting the ball N, and is in gear with the incline t' of handle I, which is also connected by the cord K with the movable trough L, so that when the handle I is pulled its slide passes over and depresses one end of the lever H, causing the other end to rise, as shown in dotted lines, carrying with it the rod G, which lifts the ball N and rolls it down the way F. While the ball is rolling, the player, keeping his hand upon the handle I, may move it backward and forward, and thus by means of the cord K move the guiding-trough L to any angle he desires. Upon releasing the handle I, the spring l returns the trough L to its normal position, thereby causing the cord K to pull the handle I, so that its incline 't' comes off the lever II, and this latter, by the weight of the rod G, also returns to its normal position.

The groove of the switchback or longitudinal incline, as herein shown, is V-shaped. It will of course be obvious that it can be of any suitable shape and that numerous other devices for propelling the ball and shifting the guide-trough can be devised without involving a departure from the spirit of my invention.

Y The switchback-way may curve round to the shifting guide or movable trough, or it may simply deliver the ball onto an incline at B, leading to the trough L.

The apparatus may be made to place upon a dining-table or other support, or it may be set upon legs, as inda billiard or bagatelle table, such legs being preferably each provided with a regulating-screw to secure a perfect lever, and it may be made to fold or otherw1se.

I may make the grooved way or switchback F of metal in one or several pieces, and I may use any suitable material for the several parts of my apparatus.

Having fully described my invention,what I desire to claim, and secure by Letters Patent, 1s-

1. A game board or table having a suitable playing surface, an inclined grooved way curved to form various gradients, a projectilesupporting means at the upper portion of said way, a raised portion at the lower part of said way, a guide-trough pivoted thereto, a projectile-propelling device, and connections between the same and the guide-trough.

2. A game board or table having a suitable playing surface, an inclined grooved way curved to form various gradients, a projectilesupporting means at the upper portion of said way, a raised board, as B, at the lower portion of said way, a guide-trough pivoted thereto, a vertical rod upon the upper end of which the projectile rests, a pivoted transverse lever connected at one end to said rod, a sliding cam adapted to engage the other end of said lever, and connections between said sliding cam and the guide-trough.

3. A game board or table having a suitable playing surface, an inclined grooved way ICO IIO

curved to form various gradients, a proj eetlesupporting means at the upper portion of said Way, a raised board, as B, at the lower portion of said way, a normally spring- 5' pressed guide-trough pivoted thereto, a projec'tile-propelling` device, and Connections between the saine and the-guide-trough.

4. A game board or table having a suitable playing surface, an inclined grooved Way 1o curved to form various gradients, uprights supporting' the same pivotally secured to the game-board, a proj eotile-supportiu g means at the upper portion of said Way, a raised board JAMES SAMUEL BURROUGIIES.

Titnessess GEO. J. B. FRANKLIN, W. J. NonvvooD, Both of 17 Gracechureh Street, London, E. C. 

